7 Productivity Traps You’re Falling Into Without Realizing It
Welcome to Linked And Lift, your weekly guide to purposeful living and thriving careers for entrepreneurs and ambitious professionals! Each week, you get research-backed insights and practical strategies to help you lead with clarity, grow with intention, and find balance.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that a study found that people who check their email first thing in the morning are less productive throughout the day? 🧐
Our brains are naturally wired to respond to new information, which is why the influx of emails can be such a productivity killer.
The catch?
It’s often our own habits that create these roadblocks.
Today, we’re diving into 7 productivity traps that are silently sabotaging your focus - and how to break free from them.
What’s in store:
The 7 productivity traps you didn’t even know you were falling into
Science-backed strategies to reclaim your time
Linked And Lift Picks
New feature: Your Questions Answered
Read Time: 6 minutes
The 7 Productivity Traps You’re Falling Into Without Realizing It
We’ve all been there…
Staring at a to-do list that only seems to get longer, feeling the weight of everything you need to do, and yet somehow, you’re still stuck.
Here’s the thing:
Productivity isn’t just about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most, efficiently. And there are a few traps many of us fall into without even realizing it.
Let’s break them down:
1. The “I’ll Just Check One Thing” Trap
It starts with a harmless scroll through social media or quickly checking your email, right?
But suddenly, an hour has passed, and you’re nowhere near your original goal.
💡 Tip: Set time limits for small tasks. For example, if you need to check email, set a timer for 10 minutes, and stick to it. No distractions.
Example: This happened to me today while fact-checking for this newsletter. I caught myself reading an entire article instead of just scanning for what I needed. I’ve learned from experience to set a 10-minute timer for tasks like email or social media, so I don’t lose an hour without even realizing it.
2. The Multitasking Myth
We all think we’re better at multitasking than we actually are. In reality, our brains are not built for it.
When we multitask, we waste time switching between tasks rather than focusing fully on one thing.
💡 Tip: Focus on one task at a time.
Give it your full attention and move on to the next only when it’s done.
Example: If you're writing, don’t let emails or calls distract you.
Finish writing before moving on.
If I’m writing, I don’t let emails or calls distract me. I finish writing before moving on. The Do Not Disturb feature on my phone is my loyal friend, keeping me focused and interruption-free.
3. The “I Work Best Under Pressure” Trap
You might think that the last-minute scramble to meet deadlines boosts your productivity. But did you know that it actually spikes stress and reduces the quality of your work?
💡 Tip: Break big projects into smaller, manageable tasks with deadlines.
This way, you can stay ahead of the game, and beat the pressure.
Example: Break your project into smaller milestones and schedule them.
This way, there’s no “crunch time.”
4. The Perfectionism Trap
Trying to make everything perfect often leads to never finishing what you started. Perfectionism can paralyze your progress, and you end up wasting time on details that aren’t even noticed.
💡 Tip: Focus on progress, not perfection. Ask yourself, “What’s the minimum viable version of this task?”
Example: "I’ll just finish this and move on. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective."
5. The “Urgent” vs. “Important” Trap
How often do you drop everything for a crisis or an email that demands immediate attention? It’s easy to confuse urgency with importance, but they’re not the same thing.
💡 Tip: Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your tasks by urgency and importance.
Example:
Urgent and important: A work deadline.
Urgent but not important: A text from a friend asking for a favor.
You can prioritize accordingly.
6. The “No Breaks” Trap
It’s tempting to power through long work sessions, thinking the more you work, the more you’ll accomplish. But working non-stop actually diminishes your productivity in the long run.
💡 Tip: Implement the Pomodoro Technique. Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat, and take a longer break after four sessions.
Example: I’ve adapted the Pomodoro Technique to suit my workflow. I work for 50 minutes followed by a 10-minute break. This longer focus period helps me stay in the zone and get more done, while still giving me the benefits of regular breaks.
7. The “I Don’t Have Time” Trap
This one is sneaky. You feel overwhelmed by your calendar, and it feels like there’s just no time to accomplish everything.
But guess what?
You’re making time for what you prioritize.
💡 Tip: Use time blocking to schedule your most important tasks first.
Treat your time as a non-negotiable resource.
Example: Block out 2 hours in your calendar for focused work before checking emails or social media.
🚀 Action Plan: How to Escape These Traps and Be More Productive
Reevaluate Your Routine:
Identify your biggest productivity trap and take intentional action to address it.
Use the Power of Time Blocking:
Schedule your day around your top priorities.
No more filling your calendar with distractions.Set Boundaries for Tech:
Stop the cycle of endless emails and notifications by turning off distractions during focused work periods.
Commit to Short Bursts of Focus:
Use strategies like the Pomodoro Technique to maximize efficiency.
Linked And Lift Picks
Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport - how to achieve focused success in a distracted world.
Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show - episode on productivity hacks for entrepreneurs.
Quote: "The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." – Stephen Covey
What’s Your Take?
👉 Vote here and see the live results in next week’s edition!
Last week’s Poll results
Which micro-habit are you most excited to try?
Unfollowing uninspiring accounts. - 17%
Drinking water before coffee. - 26%
Taking mindful walks. - 35%
No-screen wind-down routine. - 22%
Over the Past Two Weeks:
Listening & Learning from You
The beginning of building my personal brand had its challenges, which is why I wanted to better understand the struggles others face when starting out.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve dedicated hours to connecting with members of my community and hearing about your challenges. Many of you scheduled 30-minute consultation calls with me and filled out the "Tell Us What Matters to You" form. Thank you.
Growing my LinkedIn following to 88K+ has shown me what works, and doesn’t, and I’m excited to kick off a new Q&A series to help you overcome the same roadblocks many of you are facing.
Personal Branding Q&A:
Answers to Your LinkedIn Struggles
Q: I spend hours writing posts, but no one engages with them. What am I doing wrong?
A: When I first started posting on LinkedIn, I faced the same challenge. I’d spend hours crafting posts, only to get little to no engagement. What I started doing more was engaging with others in my network. The more I interacted with their content, the more they engaged with mine.
I learned that visibility on LinkedIn isn’t just about posting - it’s about connection. It’s about building relationships. Before you post, spend time commenting on posts from people in your target audience. This creates a warm audience that’s more likely to engage when you share your own content.
HERE’S HOW I CAN HELP YOU:
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👉 Book your free 30-minute consultation here.
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Meet the Writer
Founder, Linked And Lift
A founder, offering research-backed insights on leadership, lifestyle design, personal branding, burnout prevention, personal and professional growth, to help you thrive in your career and life.